Mesh network controller

ABSTRACT

A mesh network controller for remote control of devices such as remote firing devices. The controller includes remote firing devices which have a relay capability that allow a controller to communicate with remote firing devices beyond the range of its direct communication. This is accomplished by a signal being relayed from RFDs to RFDs with the signal going in two directions.

PRIORITY/CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.61/889,394, filed Oct. 10, 2014 the disclosure of which is incorporatedby reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The presently disclosed technology relates to wireless control ofexplosive, and more particularly to wireless control of multipleexplosive charge by relaying control signals.

BACKGROUND

In the world of explosive devices which are triggered remotely,controllers are used for wireless communication with an RFD (RemoteFiring Device). The controller includes a transmitter and the RFDincludes a receiver of the wireless signal. The RFD can initiate anexplosion by use of a mechanism which generates a high voltage arc,which initiates an explosive train from the arc. This is called anon-electric type of RFD. Another type of RFD is one which is called anelectric RFD, which is basically providing enough electrical energy toheat up a filament similar to that of a light bulb which is embedded insensitive explosives, and when it is activated it creates a detonationin the explosives. A typical way that current controllers and RFDs areoperated is in which a controller wirelessly communicates with a singleor multiple RFDs. By use of a current technology controller, all of theRFD's can be activated simultaneously, causing multiple explosions atdifferent locations. The controller can also be used to activate one RFDat a time.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The purpose of the Abstract is to enable the public, and especially thescientists, engineers, and practitioners in the art who are not familiarwith patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from acursory inspection, the nature and essence of the technical disclosureof the application. The Abstract is neither intended to define theinventive concept(s) of the application, which is measured by theclaims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of theinventive concept(s) in any way.

The disclosed technology is a controller for use with devices used inremotely controlling explosive initiation. The disclosed technology isan improvement over prior art systems, and involves a controller andmultiple RFD's which are linked together by a secure encrypted meshnetwork. In the disclosed technology, a controller can wirelesslycommunicate with a number of RFD's. Each of the RFD's in the system canalso communicate back to the controller to verify arming or readiness orstrength of signal, and other data. Each of the RFD's is also inconstant communication with the other RFD's, so each RFD has both atransmitter and receiver. Each of the components relay communicationthrough each other or whichever unit has the strongest signal. Since allof these devices are wireless, they can be separated on the field ofoperation and only linked together by the wireless communication. Wherethis can come in handy is where the controller is going to be used tooperate three RFD's, and it can only get a radio lock on one of them.However, it is possible that the one contacted RFD is close enough tothe other two RFDs to relay a communication from the controller to theother two or more RFD's in the field and back. Thus, the controller canactivate RFD's in which it is not in direct radio contact. It might beblocked by the terrain, a building, a berm of land, solid rock around atunnel, or other structure which might impede the wirelesscommunication. As long as the controller can connect with one RFD, andthat RFD can connect to another, and the second RFD can connect to athird, they can all be controlled by the controller and relaycommunications back.

The controller also has the capability of firing each RFD withsynchronized electronically adjustable precise timing intervals. Whenthe command to fire is sent to each the RFDs it also can carryadditional instructions specifying when and how each RFD will fire. Thecommand may be to fire one at a time, all at the same time or a veryprecisely synchronized delay between each RFD. Current technology usespyrotechnic time delays either built into the detonators or as part ofthe firing train leading up to the detonators to accomplish differentfiring intervals.

Another use of the mesh network controller is to extend the range atwhich the explosion can be set. For instance if the range of thecontroller to the RFD is 500 feet, by using multiple RFD's which are inwireless communication back and forth with each other, that range can beextended indefinitely, such as to a mile or more, by laying out a trackof RFD's set at a maximum distance for contact apart. This track ofRFD's can also snake a route through culverts, around the corners ofbuildings, behind hills, into mines, and in other ways extend the rangeand communication capabilities of the controller. Since all of theseRFD's are capable of receiving and transmitting signals between thecontrollers and other RFD's, if one RFD becomes damaged, other RFD's inthe system can automatically connect up the gap, and bridge the gaps incommunication within the network so that the remaining RFD's can becontrolled remotely.

The mesh network controller can take control of any available ornon-paired RFDs, even those controlled by another controller, at anytime through a secure encrypted pairing process. If an RFD is alreadypaired to a controller the owner controller will have to release controlor share control of the RFD before it will be available for use withanother controller. If a controller has taken control over one orseveral RFDs it has the ability to either transfer control over toanother controller, release the RFDs back to an unpaired condition orshare control with another controller. Shared control can be either bothcontrollers can have exactly the same operational control over the RFDsor a limited level of shared control where the subordinate controllerhas reduced capabilities such as limited or no sharing ability, or inorder to fire the RFDs with the subordinate controller certain criteriamust be met on the primary owning controller first.

The mesh network controller and its associated RFD's can also be part ofa larger system in which other devices are controlled and linkedtogether by the controller and the RFD's. Devices which can be part ofthis system can include x-ray machines which are utilized to send x-raysthrough a suspected bomb for instance, and dosimeters which are placedbehind the suspected bomb. The controller can be set to activate thex-ray machine and send pulses through the suspected bomb until apre-selected level of energy has been received at the dosimeter. In thisway it is known that the film which is between the x-ray machine and thedosimeter has received enough energy to create an x-ray image which maybe read. The x-ray film can also be in wireless communication with thecontroller, and the x-ray image (digital) from the film can bewirelessly transmitted to the controller for further review and decisionmaking and saving the digital image. The controller and the RFD's canalso be part of a network in which drones are wirelessly linked to thecontroller and the controller is linked to other controllers. Themultiple controllers can be operated by users who are working togetherto control RFD's, x-rays, dosimeters and drones in a certaingeographical area. The first controller may control all of the assets inthat area, but when the second controller gets in position, the firstcontroller can transfer control of all the RFD's, x-rays, dosimeters anddrones to the second controller. If a drone is traveling from one areato another the second controller can transfer control of the drone to athird controller and so on, so that a person with the best vantage pointcan utilize the assets of the team, including RFD's, drones, x-rays,film, and dosimeters.

Still other features and advantages of the presently disclosed andclaimed inventive concept(s) will become readily apparent to thoseskilled in this art from the following detailed description describingpreferred embodiments of the inventive concept(s), simply by way ofillustration of the best mode contemplated by carrying out the inventiveconcept(s). As will be realized, the inventive concept(s) is capable ofmodification in various obvious respects all without departing from theinventive concept(s). Accordingly, the drawings and description of thepreferred embodiments are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, andnot as restrictive in nature.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram of the mesh network of the disclosed technology.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

While the presently disclosed inventive concept(s) is susceptible ofvarious modifications and alternative constructions, certain illustratedembodiments thereof have been shown in the drawings and will bedescribed below in detail. It should be understood, however, that thereis no intention to limit the inventive concept(s) to the specific formdisclosed, but, on the contrary, the presently disclosed and claimedinventive concept(s) is to cover all modifications, alternativeconstructions, and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope ofthe inventive concept(s) as defined in the claims.

Shown in FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the parts of the mesh controllernetwork. The disclosed mesh controller network is shown as numeral 10.Included in the system is user controller device 12, which is shown inFIG. 1 which can be two independent controllers. A wireless signal 14 issent from either of these controller devices 12, and is received byremote firing devices 16. A wireless network 18 is shown to symbolizethe interconnected nature of the remote firing devices 16 and thewireless controller device 12. Shown in FIG. 1 is a signal blockingobstruction 20, which intercepts the wireless signal 14 and reflects itback away from the obstruction 20. On the opposite side of theobstruction 20 is an RFD 16, which is unable to receive a direct signalfrom the user controller device 12, due to the wireless obstruction 20.As shown in FIG. 1, a signal 14 is able to reach from the usercontroller device 12 to a remote firing device 16 which is off to oneside of the obstruction 20. The wireless signal 14 is relayed from theavailable RFD 16 to reach the RFD 16 behind the obstruction. A third RFDis shown which is out of range of the user controller device 12, but thesignal 14 can be relayed from the RFD behind the obstruction. The RFDmost distant from the user controller device can relay a signal from theuser controller device 20 to a drone 22, to extend control of the usercontroller device to devices which are beyond the reach of the usercontroller device 12. Control of the system and its assets can betransferred from the first wireless controller device to the secondwireless controller device, by appropriate hand shaking and permissions.Each of the wireless signals 14 includes a back signal from the RFD sothat signals from distant RFDs can be relayed back to the usercontroller device even though it is out of range of directcommunication.

While certain exemplary embodiments are shown in the figures anddescribed in this disclosure, it is to be distinctly understood that thepresently disclosed inventive concept(s) is not limited thereto but maybe variously embodied to practice within the scope of the followingclaims. From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that variouschanges may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of thedisclosure as defined by the following claims.

I claim:
 1. A wireless control system for remote firing devices,comprising: a controller unit comprising a transmitter and a receiver ofwireless signals, and an input port for defining RFD controlinstructions, and control logic and indicators for connecting tomultiple RFDs in interconnected communication; two or more RFDs, witheach RFD with a connection to an explosives detonation device, areceiver for receiving signals from a controller or another RFD, and atransmitter for sending information to said controller or to other RFDs;wherein said controller can communicate with at least one RFD, and thatRFD can communicate with at least on other RFD, and so on, so that saidcontroller can control multiple RFDs through wireless connection with asingle RFD.
 2. The wireless control system of claim 1 in which saidindicators show which RFDs are under the control of the controller. 3.The wire control system of claim 1 in which said input port allows auser to set detonation time delays for each of the RFDs under wirelesscontrol of the controller.
 4. The wireless control system of claim whichfurther comprises a handshake protocol and pass off protocol, so thatcommunication with the controlled RFDs can be shared with anothercontroller, either through the first controller, or through a signalpassed from an RFD to the first controller, so that the controlled RFDscan be managed by the second controller.
 5. The wireless control systemof claim 1 in which the controller may control additional assets otherthan RFDs, selected from the list consisting of RFDs, drones, X raysensors, x ray sending units, and PAN firing devices.